Pros: An excellent background, written with immense skill.
Cons: Only a minor criticism, but characterisation isn't terribly thorough.
The Bottom Line: Lewis sets up the rest of the series exceptionally well here - and whatever order you read them in, this is a joy and a great achievement.
smadakcin's Full Review: C. S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
We often resolve to read a book, or a series, and spend years and years doing anything but, except occasionally recalling the promise and re-etching the mental note. In my case, the seven books in question are those which form The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S.Lewis' legendary series centred on the mythical land of the title. It probably shouldn't have taken the recent film of the second book* to finally push me to pick up the 50-year-old set that we have at the back of the bookshelves, but it did, and ultimately I'm glad it did.
When so much around us now seems to be increasingly secular, or in Philip Pullman's case, strongly atheist, it's refreshing to read something which makes no apologies for its clear Christian influences and allusions. However, this isn't by any means the main recommendation for this book, or the series in general - it's simply an excellent fantasy tale.
In this first installment, set in London, presumably some time in the late 19th Century, we meet a young boy named Diggory Kirke and his neighbour, Polly. With his Mother seriously ill, Diggory is cared for by his Aunt and Uncle. Whilst exploring inside the roof-space that links the terrace of houses one afternoon, the pair stumble across a secret entrance to the Study into which Diggory had never previously been allowed, and discover a side to his Uncle that neither had been aware of. Uncle Andrew, the magician of the title, had created a set of rings, made of such a substance that allows the wearer to travel to and from a myriad of unheard of worlds.
Prior to his disturbance by the children, Uncle Andrew had never been able to fully test his invention, lacking the courage of his conviction to use himself as the subject of his experiment. Now, however, such subjects have landed in his lap ...
With Polly tricked into slipping on the ring, and having vanished into thin air, Diggory feels obliged to find and bring her back. Taking the second ring, he emerges in a world-between-worlds. The potential this dimension holds is only really hinted at by the author, but we are shown the way in which it links into other existences; first into the dying world of Charn, where Diggory's rash curiosity awakens a deep, malicious evil, and then into Narnia itself, we follow the children. Here, the pair and their companions witness the birth of a new world, the miracle of creation acted out before their eyes.
Meeting Aslan, the great Lion who gave birth to Narnia, Diggory and Polly are entrusted with a task which, if accomplished, will both protect Narnia and make significant difference to at least one of their lives. Unfortunately, that evil unleashed in Charn has accompanied the children to this new world, and has not yet had its say ...
This isn't a book especially heavy on action or great drama - rather, it sets out to provide a background to the rest of the series, and show the roots of that which comes later on. As such, this affair is largely fairly low on tension or grand set-pieces, but doesn't drag - the author moves the story along at a relatively brisk pace, and never dwells unnecessarily long on any one section. This is, of course, essentially a children's book, and this shows in the style of writing. Complex, overly pretentious words and constructions are discarded, and the structure is broadly fairly simple, but such is Lewis' skill, that this never appears "dumbed down" or beneath an adult readership. This is a well-written, imaginative story told with minimal fuss and great power.
Despite a lack of wordiness, the imagery used in the book is fantastic - the scenes in the ruined city of Charn feel intensely real, the words depicting a wasted civilisation crumbling into itself, yet still showing the remnants of its former pride and glory. Perhaps even more impressive is the birth of Narnia - Lewis paints a delightfully evocative picture, of not just the sights but also the sounds. I can think of few writers capable of describing creation so artfully.
The characterisation is possibly less thorough and complete, but does a well-rounded job nonetheless - we get a good idea of who our major characters are, but don't really see too deeply into them. This is only a minor criticism, though - it never impairs the book; in fact, it probably fits in with the lack of over-elaboration in The Magician's Nephew.
I referred briefly to Pullman earlier, and it would probably be interesting to read the two series together. Both works centre on the issues covered in Genesis, especially the Garden of Eden - although they do it in different ways. The symbolism is fairly clear and simple here, but no less effective for it - the story deals with a number of moral dilemmas; especially faith and temptation - issues of innocence run through here and His Dark Materials, making for interesting reading on multiple levels.
As either a simple fantasy, or a clever re-telling of the Bible, this is an excellent book. It may lack the emotional power of later episodes, but does a wonderful job of filling in the gaps which they may have left. Wherever in the series you read it, it is unlikely to disappoint, and has stood the test of time impeccably.
* Although the first chronologically, C.S.Lewis wrote The Magician's Nephew third. The Puffin blurb in my edition reckons they should be read in the order they were written, but there seems to be little consensus.
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